Liberty Battson

(b. 1990 Benoni, Johannesburg)

Liberty Battson is a South African conceptual artist who treats art as a universal visual language designed to be decoded, rather than a elite understanding to be feared. Born and raised in Benoni, Battson’s practice is defined by a playful, truth-centered approach that seeks to dismantle the stereotype that art is "too hard to understand." By creating works that encourage active engagement, she uses humor and play as a way to lower the viewer's internal defenses, making space for a more honest dialogue about the topical issues we face today—from poverty and government failure to global instability.

Battson earned her BA(FA) with distinction from the University of Pretoria in 2013, where she pioneered the use of automotive paint on canvas to create high-gloss, accessible imagery. Her career was launched into the international spotlight when she won the prestigious Absa L’Atelier competition in 2014, following a Sasol New Signatures Merit Award in 2013 and a Thami Mnyele Fine Arts merit award in 2012.

Her work has been featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016) and major national festivals including KKNK and Aardklop. Solely represented by Everard Read/CIRCA since 2016, Battson’s debut solo exhibition traveled from The Absa Gallery to CIRCA Cape Town, establishing her as a vital, engaging voice in contemporary art. Her international footprint includes representation in London and Belgium, as well as multiple residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and Mas de Gravieres in Provence.

Battson’s work is held in numerous high-profile public and private collections, including Telkom, Sasol, Ellerman House, Absa, and Nando’s Corporate Collection (London). In her latest exhibition, Song and Dance, Battson continues her mission to make truth accessible. By reinterpreting the Old Masters with a sharp, humorous lens, she invites her audience to participate in the "commotion" of modern life, proving that when we laugh and engage, we become much more capable of understanding the world around us.

QUALIFICATIONS

Tertiary Education: BA Fine Arts University of Pretoria 2013 (distinction)

Standox Qualified spray painter 2013 (Level 2)

NOTABLE EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS

2026

Song and Dance - Knysna Fine Art

2025

Summer – Everard Read Franschhoek

Morphology – Knysna Fine Art

Curators Choice -Everard Read Leeu Estate

2024

Winter Collection -Everard Read Fransschhoek

Summer Collection -Everard Read Leeu Estate

Soho House Woman’s month exhibition – Ellerman house in collaboration with Everard Read Cape Town

2023

Affordable art fair Belgium – The boutique Gallery, Belgium

International Traveling show- Don’t ask me where I am from,

Aga Khan Museum (Toronto) to Gallery Alberta (Canada) to Orlando Museum of Arts (Florida, USA) March 2023.

2022

Dak’Art Biennale, May 2022, Dakar, Senegal

Solo exhibition: Yada-Yada Club – Everard Read, Cape Town

Summer Exhibition, Everard Read, London

Spring Exhibition, Everard Read, Franschhoek

Winter Exhibition, Everard Read, London

International Traveling show- Don’t ask me where I am from,

- Aga Khan Museum (Toronto) to Gallery Alberta (Canada) to Orlando Museum of Arts (Florida, USA)

Winter Exhibition, SEDUCTION, Everard Read, Cape Town

Group exhibition – The boutique Gallery, Belgium

2021

New Modernism – edg2020, Johannesburg

International two man Exhibition – The boutique Gallery, Belgium

TRIPE – Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein

The Power of 35!, Absa Gallery, Johannesburg

Spring Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg

In // Conversation – Everard Read, Cape Town

2020

Solo exhibition: Unprecedented Lines – Everard Read, Cape Town

Solo exhibition: THE FIX – Everard Read, Johannesburg

FNB Art Fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg

International Exhibition, Don’t Ask me where I’m from – The Aga Khan Museum, Canada

Bloemfontein CUT external adjudicator for final year sculpture.

2019

Solo exhibition: Art’s OK - Everard Read Franschhoek Cape Town

Collaborative Installation: TRIPE – Absa Gallery, Johannesburg

International Traveling show- Don’t ask me where I am from, Italy

- Aga Khan Museum (Toronto) in collaboration with the Benetton Foundation/Imago Mundi (Italy): Gallerie delle Prigioni in Treviso, Italy

Mentorship program at ABSA Gallery in installation art

Leader in community development program at Kapano Center for disabled in Bloemfontain with CUT Students

Top 100 adjudicator at SASOL New Signatures Competition

2018

Cape Town art fair, Everard Read

Solo exhibition: Dada Data -  Everard Read, Cape Town

FNB Art Fair – Everard Read, Johannesburg

Iniboss national arts festival

Winter exhibition, Everard Read/ CIRCA, Cape town

Summer exhibition, Everard Read, London

2017

Cape Town art fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg

southern abstract, Everard Read, London

Inside out Two man solo, KKNK Oudtshoorn

Curator of The Confessional, Absa Gallery and KKNK National Arts Fest.

Spectrum – group exhibition at CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg

Solo exhibition: Truth Sleuth – CIRCA, Johannesburg

FNB Art Fair – Everard Read 

2016

Solo exhibition: I bet you wish you did this - Absa Gallery

Venice Architecture Biennale (Cool Capital)

Solo exhibition: I bet you wish you did this – CIRCA, Cape Town

FNB Art Fair

Turbine Art Fair, Everard Read, Johannesburg

2015

Solo exhibition at Absa KKNK National arts festival

Nominee for Absa KANA Award

Solo Exhibition at Clover Aardklop National Art Festival

The Summer Exhibition, Knysna Fine Art Gallery

2014

Absa L’Atelier overall winner

Cool Capital Biennale

Temp. Teaching post at St Pieter’s Collage (grade 10-12)

2013

PPC young concrete sculpting awards 2012 Fans Favourite winner

Turbine Art Fair

SASOL New Signatures 2013 merit award winner

Thami Mnyele Fine Arts painting merit award winner

Adjudicating committee for student admission adjudication for 2014 University of Pretoria

RESIDENCIES

Two-Month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris 2013-2014, awarded by the University of Pretoria.

Seven-month return to Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris 2015 in conjunction with the Absa L’Atelier first prize.

Two-week residency at Mas de Gravieres, Provence, France 2018.

Curator of a three-week residency at Mas de Gravieres, Provence, France 2019 awarded by the organization.

COLLECTIONS

Telkom Corporate Art collection

Sasol Corporate Art collection

Ellerman House Private collection

Spier Art Trust private collection

SABC Corporate collection

University of Pretoria collection

Absa Corporate collection

Nando’s Corporate collection (London)

Imago Mundi Luciano Benetton collection (Italy)

Johanesberg Stock Exchange corporate collection

Numerous private collections